I'm so sorry it took so long to post this! I got the flu... but here it is!
I drag Dumbledore back to the Astronomy tower, where he begins to become coherent. I look up at the sharp, green Dark Mark piercing the sky and shudders.
"Sir, the battle has started, hasn't it?" Dumbledore nods, still catching his breath.
Because Draco couldn't simply leave the Death Eaters, it wouldn't be safe for him, his family, or the students. He'd had to continue his work, to my anger, only he was not alone anymore. I spent all of my free time working with Draco to get it working, usually accompanied by Hermione and Ron. We got the cabinet working relatively quickly, with a lot less stress on Draco than previously. But we knew the fight would be coming soon, so Dumbledore prepared the school as well as they could.
Below them, I hear a crash, and then rapid footsteps.
"Harry!" Dumbledore yells, pointing his wand at him. I immediately fall, going stiff on the ground, feeling my cloak fall over me just as someone bursts through to the tower.
"Ah, Draco!"
"Sir, they're here, they... they said I have to kill you."
"You don't have to, Draco."
"What should I do?"
"You must run when Severus runs, and find Harry. Do not fight, the battle will end soon. Just find him and hide." A group of four burst through to the tower, their long black cloaks billowing behind them. Draco backs away, looking terrified.
"Good job, Draco, you got Dumbledore cornered!" One of them says, clapping him on the back. A second has a wild look about him, and I could swear there's blood on the man's lips.
"Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?" The bloody man says in a raspy voice.
"No, I can't say that I am, Fenrir. Am I to take it that you have developed a taste for human flesh not during the full moon?" Fenrir grins, baring yellowing bloody teeth. Draco slowly backs away from the scene, until he is almost to where I'm paralyzed and hidden. I see the panic on Draco's face, and struggle desperately against the magical bonds so that I can help him, but Dumbledore's spell is strong.
Fenrir makes a lunge for Dumbledore, but one of the other Death Eaters holds him back.
"No! We must follow the Dark Lord's orders. Draco is to kill him." Fenrir grabs Draco and thrusts him towards Dumbledore. I try to use wordless magic to free myself, but even in his current state Dumbledore's magic is too powerful. Draco looks ready to bolt, but luckily we hear people at the bottom of the stairs trying to get up. Maybe help will come, and they'll all make it out okay.
Snape bursts through, and the Death Eaters and Draco immediately back away. My heart races as Snape pulls his wand out, pointing it at Dumbledore. And my scream was never heard as Dumbledore's pleas were ignored, and he tumbled gracefully off the tower and to the ground.
I feels the spell break, and rush to pull myself up. Snape grabs Draco and starts pulling him away, running. Anger and horror rush to my mind, clouding my thoughts, and wiping everything from my mind except the immediate need to save Draco from Dumbledore's fate. It couldn't have happened, Dumbledore couldn't be gone, and Snape couldn't have done it.
I run through the fighting blindly, tearing after the two, knowing that if I reach them it will all be fine. If I catch Snape, it could all be undone.
"Draco!" I call desperately, hoping to slow them down. I see him trying to pull away, and when he hears me call him he struggles more frantically. Snape looks up and sees me, and points his wand at me, throwing me back before I can even get my wand out.
"Harry!" Draco calls, and I can hear that he's coming closer. I pull myself up and he's beside me, although Snape is nowhere in sight.
"Where'd he go?" I ask wildly, scrambling to my feet. I try to run, but trip on my feet, and Draco catches me.
"I'm sorry, Harry, he's... he's gone." Snape's gone. And that means that Dumbledore's gone, and there's no bringing him back. I can't help it, I feel tears coming to my eyes, and Draco goes to hold me before they start falling. "I'm so sorry, Harry, I... I didn't know what to do, I should have stopped it." I shake my head, leaning into him further.
"No, it's not your fault. I'm just glad you're okay, that's all the would have mattered to Dumbledore."
"We should go fight."
"No, they can't see you, Draco, we can't go back. I can't let anyone else get hurt."
We stay outside, watching the castle until the signs of battle die down, holding each other as we watch our world burns down around us. I feel the cold metal of the fake Horcrux in my pocket, and I rest my head on his shoulder, letting the tears for Dumbledore flow freely.
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